Food Business Profit Calculator
Pick your kind of food business. We fill in typical Indian numbers, and you change anything that doesn’t match yours. You’ll see what you keep each month and how long it takes to earn back what you spent to open.
Bills you ring up on an average day.
Per order, before GST.
Typical: 28–38%.
Add your own pay if you draw one.
Zero if you run from home.
Typical: 18–30%.
Average across all orders.
Marketing, repairs, software, licences, wastage.
Interiors, kitchen equipment, deposit, licences.
Starting numbers are typical for a café in India. A quick-service café usually costs ₹5–12 lakh to set up.
At 100 customers a day you keep about ₹1.0 lakh a month, a 12.1% margin. Most cafés and quick-service places in India keep 10–15%. Your numbers sit inside that range.
Next: How to start a café in India · Restaurant business plan template
What profit do food businesses in India usually keep?
Net margin is what is left after food, salaries, rent, bills, commission and everything else, as a share of sales. These are the usual ranges we see across India.
| Type of business | Usual net margin |
|---|---|
| Average restaurant (all types) | 5–12% |
| Casual dining | 8–12% |
| Quick service / café | 10–15% |
| Cloud kitchen | 8–15% (15–25% with strong direct ordering) |
| Fine dining | 12–18% |
| Dhaba, street food, food truck | 15–25% |
| Home tiffin service (no rent) | 25–35% |
How is the profit worked out?
Revenue is orders a day × average bill × days open. Food cost and app commission are a share of sales, packaging is per order, and the rest are fixed monthly costs. What is left is your monthly profit.
Setup payback is your one-time setup cost divided by monthly profit. It ignores loan interest and the slow first few months, so treat it as the best case. Most places take a few months to reach their normal daily orders.
If you are still planning, run the numbers at half your expected orders too. A place that only works at full capacity is a risky place to put your savings.
Questions owners ask
What is a good profit margin for a food business in India?
Net profit after every cost, including rent and salaries, is usually 5–12% for an average restaurant. Casual dining keeps 8–12%, cafés and quick-service places 10–15%, cloud kitchens 8–15%, fine dining 12–18%, and dhabas, street food and food trucks 15–25%. Home tiffin services often keep 25–35% because they pay no rent.
How long does it take to recover the setup cost?
Divide your one-time setup cost by your monthly profit. A café that cost ₹10 lakh to open and makes ₹1 lakh a month takes about 10 months. Setup costs usually run ₹10,000–2 lakh for a home bakery or tiffin service, ₹5–15 lakh for a cloud kitchen or food truck, ₹5–12 lakh for a quick-service café and ₹30–50 lakh for a dine-in restaurant.
What food cost percentage should I aim for?
Most Indian food businesses run a food cost of 28–38% of sales. Below 28% usually means high prices or small portions. Above 38% leaves little room for rent and salaries, so check your recipe costs and wastage.
How much do Swiggy and Zomato commissions cut into profit?
Delivery-app commission is usually 18–30% of the order value. If half your sales come through the apps at 25%, that is 12.5% of all your sales gone before rent and salaries. Moving even some regulars to direct orders by phone, WhatsApp or your own QR menu lifts your margin.
Guides and tools
Already open? Track it for real
Billing, kitchen tickets, stock, staff attendance and payroll in one place, on the phone or computer you already have.
- 7-day free trial
- From ₹899/month in India
- Works on phone, tablet or computer
Updated October 2026 · Starting numbers are typical, not a forecast. Your rent, prices and orders decide your real profit.